July 2014 news and reviews

Adobe has made final release versions of Camera Raw 8.6 and DNG Converter 8.6 available. This update adds support for the Nikon D810, Panasonic Lumix AG-GH4 (GH4 with interface unit) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000, as well as several bug fixes. Color profiles are added for the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III, A7S and Alpha SLT-A77 II. Also included are a number of new lens profiles. Learn more

Canon India has posted a teaser on its Facebook page showing a 1-series DSLR alongside the words 'Get your camera ready, something BIG is coming'. Being a teaser rather than a leak, the meaning of the post is open to interpretation, although 'get your camera ready' suggests that the new product might be a lens. With Photokina just around the corner, the time is right for new product announcements. Click through for a look at the teaser.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX220 and W810, which have been available in certain markets for several months, are making their way onto US shores in August and September. The WX220 features an 18.2MP BSI-CMOS sensor, Bionz X processor, 25-250mm equiv. lens, 1080/60p video, and Wi-Fi with NFC. The W810 offers a 20MP CCD, 26-156mm equiv. lens, and 720p video. The cameras are priced at $200 and $100, respectively. Click through for details.

A group of big name Hollywood directors has nudged studio executives into talks with Kodak, negotiating a deal that would keep the company's movie film in production. With support from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, and J.J. Abrams, the deal would see studios commit to buying a certain amount of film from Kodak for the next few years. Read more

The Nikon D810 represents a consolidation of its two predecessors, the D800 and D800E. The 36MP full frame DSLR lacks an anti-aliasing filter to make the absolute most of its high resolution sensor and provides a number of meaningful updates over the previous generation. After some extensive shooting in the field we've updated our First Impressions Review with a shooting experience. Read more

The Sony SLT-A77 II is that company's latest DSLR using translucent mirror technology. With a 24MP CMOS sensor, it has a newly-designed 79-point AF system and offers 12fps continuous shooting with autofocus. That's all very impressive on paper, but what's it like in the real world? We've pulled together a sample gallery and added it to our a77 II First Impressions Review. See gallery

We've been out taking advantage of Seattle's sunny July days and have just published a gallery of real-world samples from Canon's new 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS STM lens. Smaller, lighter and cheaper than the 10-22mm zoom that precedes it in Canon's lineup, the 10-18mm gives a 16-29mm equivalent range on the APS-C bodies it's designed for. See gallery

Canon has introduced a pair of budget-friendly superzooms: the PowerShot SX400 IS and SX520 HS. These cameras have 24-720mm and 24-1008mm equivalent lenses, respectively. The SX400 sports a 16MP CCD and 720p video, while the SX520 uses a CMOS sensor (likely BSI) that can produce Full HD movies. Canon claims that autofocus performance has been improved on both models compared with their predecessors. You'll be able to pick up the SX400 IS in August for $249.99, with the SX520 HS following in September for $399.99.

Pelican Imaging has released a set of re-focusable pictures taken with its light field camera for smartphones. Instead of placing an array of microlenses between the sensor and the main lens, Pelican uses an array of main lenses - each with a sensor behind it. Pelican's offering is more suitable for smartphones, and their sample images allow for re-focusing, changing DOF, and shifting perspective. Click through for more details and links to the images.

The Boeing 747 - or the 'jumbo jet' as it is commonly known, changed the world. The 747 first flew in 1969, and transformed modern air travel with its ability to carry more people - and more cargo - across the globe than any previous airliner, shrinking it in the process. Seattle's Museum of Flight houses RA001 - the very first 747, which flew as a test airframe from its inaugural liftoff in 1969 through until the early 1990s. The museum is currently restoring RA001 both inside and out. Click through for pictures.

What makes a tripod a good travel companion? We test out five carbon fiber 'travel' tripods that while compact and light, are also comfortably tall and capable of supporting a reasonable amount of gear. This review covers five models, examining their features, functions and ergonomics in use both in the studio and out in the field. Click through to read the roundup.

In all the talk about new gear, and which brands are best it's easy to overlook the end result of our shared passion - the pursuit of stunning images. Among our large community there are some incredibly talented photographers who share their work in our forums, galleries and photo challenges. From time to time we like to showcase some of the best work on our homepage. This week we challenged users of the landscape photography forum to submit their strongest shots, and the results were impressive. Click through to see more.

British photographer Kris Boorman summited Mount Fuji in 2012 and took a photograph from the top, showing the shadow cast by the giant mountain at sunrise. The image has since been used as a background for the Bing search engine and last year won a competition held by Gettty Images. A couple of days ago he posted the photo at low resolution on Reddit, and within a few hours it had garnered more than 6000 upvotes. Although this might sound like good news, Boorman quickly came to regret posting the picture. Click through to learn why.

Tripod and bag manufacturer Vanguard has launched a new range of tripods that are fitted with the company’s latest pistol grip style GH-30 head. The aluminium Alta CA leg-set comes in three or four-section options to achieve maximum heights of either 1565mm (61.6in) or 1550mm (61in) though both models are designed to carry a payload of up to 11lbs (5kg). Click through for more information.

We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.

Everyone loves the look of a nice out of focus background, but it's hard to achieve in a home studio. Accessory manufacturer Lastolite believes it might have the solution, with two new reversible backgrounds printed with out of focus images of the ocean / autumn foliage and summer foliage / city lights. Measuring 1.5 x 1.2m, the backgrounds are big enough for almost full-length portraits of most adults, and weigh in at 3kg (6.6lb) each. Click through for more details.

Hasselblad has launched a new digital back for its V System camera bodies that it claims brings modern digital image quality to users of vintage film-era Hasselblad camera bodies. The Hasselblad CFV-50c back features a 43.8 x 32.9mm CMOS sensor that outputs images at a resolution of up to 8272 x 6200 pixels, and operates within an ISO range of 100-6400. Click through for more details.

Photo sharing site 500px has announced that it is now supporting images uploaded in Lytro's unique 'Living Pictures' format, and is offering its customers a $250 discount on the purchase of Lytro's Illum camera (MSRP $1599). The Illum is available now for pre-order and is expected to start shipping within the next couple of weeks. Click through for more information.

Hong Kong-based manufacturer Cactus has launched a wireless flash trigger that it claims will work with any hotshoe or PC sync socket-equipped camera and can control the power output from Canon, Nikon and Pentax-compatible flash units all at the same time. According to the manufacturer, even photographers working with multiple flashguns designed for different TTL systems will be able to link them via the wireless trigger. Click through for more information.

Fujifilm has updated the roadmap for its X-mount lenses up to the end of 2015. One extra lens has been added, while a second lens previously included has been formally named. The release order of three others has changed. The new models are the XF 90mm F2 R and XF 16mm F1.4 R, both of which are due by mid-2015. Read on to see the full roadmap and see the new release dates for the other upcoming lenses.

Ricoh has announced a new 'Prestige' version of its Pentax K-3 DSLR. This special edition camera, which 'commemorates the many awards bestowed upon the K-3' (including from this website), comes in a special gunmetal gray color. The Prestige edition includes a matching battery grip, two batteries, and an 'exclusive' camera strap. If you want your K-3 to stand out from the crowd you'd better hurry, as only 2,000 kits will be sold worldwide.

Nikon's new D810 consolidates the older D800 and D800E into a single body with no AA filter on its 36MP CMOS sensor. A few days ago we received a final production sample Nikon D810 and we've been shooting with it intensely ever since. As well as putting it through our initial studio testing, we've also taken a quick look at the effectiveness of the new electronic first-curtain shutter and created a gallery of real-world sample images to show what the camera can do. Click through for links.

Pentax has released new firmware for its flagship K-3 DSLR, adding a new function - diffraction correction to the lens corrections menu. Firmware v1.10 also improves processing times when Digital Filters and Color Fringe Correction are applied, tweaks exposure bracketing in TAv mode, offers improved AWB performance and the usual 'improved stability for general performance'. Click through for more details and a download link.

It's not a surprise that Leica's first autofocus mirrorless system camera is a thing of beauty - nor that it's wildly expensive. The Leica T (Typ 701) uses a 16MP APS-C CMOS sensor, and its operation is almost entirely dependent on a couple of dials and a large touchscreen. It may be beautiful, but a camera can't get by on its looks alone. See how it fared in our field testing. Read more

Registration is now open for PhotoPlus Expo 2014, the annual photographic tradeshow that takes place in New York City, every autumn. This year's show runs from October 29 - November 1 2014 in the Javits Convention Center, and the theme of the event (aside from photography of course) is Halloween. Click through for more details.

If the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 premium superzoom was a game-changer, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 changed the game yet again when it was introduced last month. With its 1"-type 20.1MP CMOS sensor and 25-400mm equiv. F2.8-4.0 lens it's an ideal candidate for travel, offering a larger-than-average sensor and generous zoom range. With 4K video recording and a lower MSRP, it gave the already-impressive RX10 a run for the money. Read more

What makes a compact tripod a good traveling companion? We've collected 5 aluminum 'travel' tripod and head combinations that are compact, but are also comfortably tall and hold up a reasonable amount of gear. In this roundup we cover their features, functions and finish quality, and we put them to work in the studio and in the field. Read more

London's Science Museum is to host a major exhibition of prints and artifacts from the collection of the Royal Photographic Society, including prints and experimental cameras made by William Fox Talbot in the 1820s. Masters of Light: Treasures from the Royal Photographic Society Collection will display over 200 items from the archives of a collection that was started in 1853, and it will be held on the site of one of the UK’s first ever photographic exhibitions. Take a look at some of the historic work that will be on display. See gallery

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is making materials from 12 of its photography-related courses available free online under a Creative Commons license. Selected reference materials, syllabus structure and lesson plan guidance is published and free to download via the institute’s Open Course Ware (OCW) program, to alllow motivated individuals to teach themselves. Click through for more details.

We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.

Dronestagram, a website that allows drone photographers to share their images and videos, has announced the winners of their 2014 photo contest. Sponsored by National Geographic and GoPro, the competition was open to photographers around the world. The photos taking top prizes are impressive - take a look at a gallery of the winning images. See gallery

Adobe has made Camera Raw 8.6 and DNG Converter 8.6 release candidates available. This version adds support for the Nikon D810, Panasonic Lumix AG-GH4 (GH4 with interface unit) and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000. Color profiles are added for the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III, A7S and Alpha SLT-A77 II. Also included are a number of new lens profiles. Learn more

On July 18th from 9AM PT to 4PM, CreativeLive will host a free, one-day event with nature photographer Art Wolfe. The class will be streamed live on CreativeLive's website, and viewers will be able to submit questions through Twitter, Facebook and CreativeLive's chat. Once it's aired, the class will be archived and available for download for $49. Learn more

A flying flash rig that tracks the position of both photographer and subject to maintain consistent lighting angles has been developed by researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University. In a project designed to test co-ordination between aerial robots and ground-based targets, researchers programmed a flash-carrying drone to light people in the studio as the subjects and the photographer changed positions. Read more

The Lecia III used by Yevgeni Khaldei to take Raising a Flag Over The Reichstag is to go on sale in Hong Kong this November with a guide price of $390,000 - 580,000. Khaldei took the famous shot in 1945, as Russian troops overran Berlin in the final days of World War II. Learn more

We've just completed our full review of the Nikon 1 V3, that manufacturer's enthusiast mirrorless camera. The V3 offers an 18.4 megapixel 1"-type CMOS sensor, a significant gain in resolution over its 14.2 megapixel V2 predecessor. Since its introduction the 1 system has offered impressive auto focus and burst shooting capabilities - see just how well it performed in our testing. Read review

Nikon has released version 1.0.0 of Capture NX-D, introduced in beta form earlier this year. Capture NX-D is the first version of Nikon's flagship Raw converter since previous developer Nik Software was bought by Google in 2012. The software features a new user interface, batch conversion and a non-destructive workflow that saves adjustments in sidecar files alongside the original image. Read more

Surfing tends to conjure up images of sun-soaked beaches and clear blue water. Surf photographer Chris Burkard looks for his subjects far north of the California beaches you'd normally expect. Cold water surfing pits surfers against the elements, with no more than a few millimeters of wetsuit between them and frigid water. Likewise, Burkard braves the sub-zero temperatures to capture them. SmugMug Films profiles Burkard in its latest episode. Watch the video and read more about the photographer in our Q&A with him. See video

Way up in Norway's arctic northwest lies a small, yet incredibly beautiful and diverse archipelago, home to some of that country's most magical landscapes and a truly wonderful winter atmosphere. Photographer Erez Marom shares his experience of shooting in the Lofoten Islands in Arctic Norway, from a traditional fishing village to mountains and ice-covered lakes. Learn more

Cincinnati, Ohio's current downtown public library is grand in its own right as one of the busiest branches in the country. But its predecessor, demolished in 1955, was nothing short of stunning. Built in 1874, the 'Old Main' library was originally intended to be an opera house, with a towering atrium that instead became home to five tiers of stacked bookshelves. These photos capture the grandeur of the library and its popularity in its own time. See gallery

The Cooperative of Photography received a lot of attention recently for a video featuring seven easy photographic hacks using household items. Now they've released a follow up video with seven more neat tips and tricks. It might just help you kick of a fun weekend photo project. Learn more

DxO has released updates for its FilmPack film emulation and ViewPoint perspective correction software, enabling them to be fully integrated with Adobe Photoshop CC 2014. Both are available as standalone applications or as a plugin for Lightroom and Photoshop. FilmPack v4.5.2 and Viewpoint v2.1.7 are available for download now. Read more

Software maker DxO Labs has announced the release of DxO Optics Pro 9.5.1 for Mac, which includes support for five additional cameras. Now supported by DxO Optics Pro (Elite Edition only) are the Sony A7S, as well as (both Standard and Elite Editions) Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III and SLT-A77 II, the Nikon 1 J4, and the Samsung NX30. Read more

We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip 'What the Duck' is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.

Adobe's latest Lightroom update has made it possible for subscribers to continue accessing their images and edits, as well as some limited functions of Lightroom once a license for it has ended. Key functions, including the ability to use the Develop module, do go away once the subscription is out of date, but users retain the ability to view, organize and export images. Read more

Image sharing and film emulation service VSCO has launched a scholarship fund totaling $1 million. Calling it the Artist Initiative, the program assists photographers and visual artists chosen by the company with funding and promotion of their work. The first round of recipients has been announced, including 12 creatives from across the globe. Learn more

We recently published a look at the Lomography Petzval lens, a modern version of a 19th century portrait lens. It's a niche product and not something we typically cover, but an interesting adaptation of a classic design. Roger Cicala and the team at LensRentals went one step further - when a couple of copies rolled through the door, they subjected the lens to their usual optics tests. Why? Well, because why not?

The simple idea that tripods are inconvenient to carry for extended periods has given birth to a host of attempts to find an easier way to steady a camera during a long exposure. A new device that joins this list is That Steady Thing - a metal boss that sits between a monopod's leg and its head, into which a pair of steadying legs screw. See if it lives up to its name. Read more

Sergeant Larry Reid Jr. is an official photographer for the US Air Force's Thunderbirds display team, covering everything from mechanics working on the team's F16 fighter jets to air-to-air shots at high G-loads. A new video produced by Jaron Schneider takes a detailed look at Reid's job, which has everyone here at DPReview insanely jealous (albeit a little queasy). Click through for a look - and hold on to your hat!

The Olympus Pen E-PL6, first announced in 2013 for the Asian market, is set to be introduced to the UK kitted with a pancake-style zoom lens and a Wi-Fi memory card. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ zoom lens is a pancake design, which Olympus claims is the slimmest of its type in this class. The 16.1 megapixel camera uses the same Live MOS sensor and TruePic VI processor as the 2012 PEN E-PL5 it replaces. It will retail in the UK for £429.99 from mid-July.

Panasonic's latest superzoom camera, the Lumix DMC-FZ1000 offers a highly attractive feature set. Based around a 25-400mm equivalent zoom and a large 1"-type CMOS sensor the FZ1000 combines a very useful zoom range with excellent image quality in stills and video mode. We're working our way through a full review right now, and we've just added a shooting experience page to our detailed first-impressions review. Read more

The Nikon 1 V3 has been out of stock with many retailers online and elsewhere, making the mirrorless camera hard to come by. The duration of the stock shortage has prompted an apology from Nikon Japan, which it recently posted on its website. Read more

UPDATE: Sony has released an image taken with its curved sensor, and provided more details on what we might expect from its curved sensor technology. We've updated our previous story with this image and details. Read more

Equivalence, at its most simple, is a way of comparing different formats (sensor sizes) on a common basis. Sounds straightforward enough, but the concept is still somewhat controversial and not always clearly understood. We thought it was about time we explained - and demonstrated - what equivalence means and what it doesn't. Learn more

We've updated our already healthy-sized gallery of real-world Leica T samples, bringing the grand total up to 97 images. The T (Typ 701) is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with autofocus, the first in the T-system. It offers a 16MP APS-C sensor and features a large touch screen complemented by two command dials. See how it performs in the real world. See gallery

Photographer David Friedman has been photographing inventors since 2008. During the course of that time he has sat down with 47 men and women who have their names on patents for products as diverse as cellphones, US Navy antennas and 'Squirt-gun Shoes'. We spoke to David recently about his project - read what he has to say and take a look at a selection of images. See gallery

Horst's contact sheets, sketches and inspiration are set to go on show at an exhibition planned by London's Victoria and Albert museum for the end of this year. Horst: Photographer of Style is described by the museum as a 'definitive retrospective' of the German photographer's work, and will cover a range of styles and subjects taken between his move to Paris in the 1930s and the end of his life in 1999. Read more

Many kids dream of becoming an astronaut. While few of us will ever go on a space walk, photographer Tim Dodd has done what might be the next best thing - he bought his own space suit. His was the only bid in an online auction for a Russian high altitude space suit, and he's turned this unusual purchase into a clever photo series. Titled 'Everyday Astronaut,' he transforms the everyday into something a little otherworldly. See gallery

We've come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it's time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson's comic strip 'What the Duck' is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.

Matthew Malkiewicz is what you might call a vintage train enthusiast. Fascinated with trains since his childhood, he's been photographing steam locomotives since a trip to Colorado in 2005 reignited his interests in trains and photography. His photos capture the old-world charm and romanticism that these steam-powered machines evoke. He answered a few questions about his work - see more of his photos and learn about his process. See gallery

San Francisco-based Peak Design will release a couple of new camera straps, the Slide and Clutch, in October following a successful funding campaign on Kickstarter. The Slide is a quick-connecting shoulder strap for cameras of any size, while the Clutch is a smaller hand strap designed for use regardless of whether the camera has a battery grip. Read more

With the popularity of drone photography ever increasing, curious hobbyists may be looking for a way to try it out without spending a lot. It's not the most expensive hobby you could pick, but $1000 for a DJI Phantom II and a GoPro Hero3+ is about the same cost as a mid-range camera and lens. Low-cost drones with built-in cameras seem like a great option for the curious. But do the price benefits outweigh the inevitable image quality and usability tradeoffs that come with a cheaper quad? Read more

Sony has lowered the price of its Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 premium superzoom. The MSRP in the US is now $998, down from $1299, and prices in Europe have dropped as well (though it's unclear if they're official). It's not known if this was a planned price reduction, or a reaction to the Panasonic FZ1000 which is about to hit store shelves at a list price of $899. Read more

Lomography isn't a company we've historically talked about much on DPReview; with its emphasis on low-fi, 'shoot from the hip' photography using plastic film cameras, it's a long way from the typical interests of our readers. But last year the company came up with an interesting idea: to recreate a classic 19th century portrait lens for modern SLRs. The result is the Petzval 85mm F2.2, which is available now to fit Canon or Nikon SLRs. So what's it like? Read more

Camera filter and lighting gel manufacturer Lee Filters has introduced a range of filters and filter holders aimed at extreme sports fans using GoPro action cams. The Lee Bug is available in two forms - the Lee Bug 3 and the Lee Bug 3+ - which are compatible with GoPro Hero 3 and Hero 3+ cameras. Read more

Photographers looking to try out a Sigma dp2 Quattro compact digital camera before making a purchase (and given its radical design, that's a really good idea) can now take advantage of the Sigma 'Try Before You Buy' loaner program, launched today. Under the new program, photographers are invited to test the new camera before it begins shipping. Learn more

When it was introduced last year, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 was peerless. It was the first superzoom to offer a 1"-type sensor, much larger than the 1/2.3"-type chips commonly found in that class. It paired that with an impressive F2.8 constant 24-200mm equivalent zoom. Now the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 has joined the RX10 in this newly-minted category, boasting almost certainly the same sensor and a 25-400mm equivalent F2.8-4 lens. They line up nicely for a head-to-head comparison - and that's exactly what we've done. Read more

In honor of one of the World Cup, underway in Brazil right now, we asked DPReview forum members to share their best football shots (or soccer, as it's known in this corner of the world). We suspect more than a few devoted fans are spending time at the pub and not in front of their computers, but a faithful few submitted some of their favorite photos. They capture the spirit of the sport beautifully, from youth games to pros going toe-to-toe. Take a look at some of their work. See gallery